BE — an Encourager
Research shows that 77% of the messages we get every day are negative. Open the newspaper, listen to complaints, watch the news. Much of what occupies our minds is anything but uplifting.
Take heart and use heart. Be that person who finds ways to encourage others – every day. A pat on the back will do. A kind word is awesome. Giving someone a compliment could make their day. Think of ways you can be a VALUE GENERATOR. That simply means you have made someone feel more valued and everyone deserves that!
Who is a value generator in your life? Who is your mentor? Who believes in you during those times you don’t believe in yourself? If someone comes to mind – tell them.
BE — in the Moment
Time is either well spent or well squandered. So use it wisely. Be fully present with an employee. Stay focused on family when you are WITH family. Be present!
Oh how easy it is to be distracted. Cell phones, multi-tasking, interruptions. Be intentional about where you … [Read more...]

You may already know it takes about seven seconds to make a good first impression, but are you considering this rule when it comes to your digital brand? LinkedIn is further putting this to the test with its new design.
In case you haven’t noticed, LinkedIn has switched things up again. But this time it’s not just a matter of playing hide-and-go-seek with common features. You may also need to update your profile.
A noticeable change impacts the way your Summary displays (or should I say, does not display). Now, anyone who visits your profile will only see a teaser of your Summary.
To see your full Summary, your audience will have to click “See more." Otherwise, approximately 90 to 200 characters will show depending on whether your profile is viewed on a mobile application or desktop.
Although this concept is new to LinkedIn, it’s used for other platforms. For example, on Forbes, an author's bio is a one-liner, and you have to click a link to read the full bio. (You can see … [Read more...]

Dr. Oz was on the “Today” show this week talking about what he calls “drive-by” relationships where people merely rely on social media to connect with others.
I believe people should use social media as a means to an end, with the end goal being a face-to-face experience. True friendships are founded on personal interaction, not just clicking on Like, Friend, Follow or Connect on Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter. If you want people to invest in you, you have to invest in them.
Dr. Oz also stated that women, especially, can feel lonely and depressed even if they have tons of friends on social media. I think that’s because people tend to paint a really happy and overly optimistic picture of their lives online whereas in real life, things aren’t always so hunky dory.
When you connect face-to-face with another person, your brain receives a boost of serotonin and oxytocin, two chemicals that make you feel good and increase your feelings of optimism and happiness. Interacting through a … [Read more...]

We all have them—critics I mean. They can be as close as the person across the breakfast table or as distant as an unknown source of a nasty “Tweet” on your Twitter account. You can’t control what critics say, but you can control your reactions! Maintain composure by considering how the criticism may just be an opportunity for your growth. Dwelling on the negative will only cause stress and doubt. Who needs that?!
Leaders are always on stage, being watched by those they are influencing. What a great responsibility it is to choose to react positively! To decide to put forth the effort to be exceptional! To select the action most appropriate! So how do you handle criticism?
Here are five ways to handle your critics:
Listen with an open mind to what they’re saying. Having an open mind doesn’t mean you agree. It just means you hear the possibilities.
Listen and look for opportunities for personal growth. A critic’s words may at the very least help you discover a different … [Read more...]

“Get someone else to blow your horn and the sound will carry twice as far.” – Will Rogers.
I recently worked with a client who was in sales and business development. We spent a considerable amount of time talking about testimonials and their value. Testimonials (or recommendations) are what is called “social proof”.
To help clients to trust you, you need to show the results you have achieved and how. Testimonials can help capture your achievements.
Entrepreneur.com reported. "72% of people said that a positive review (or testimonial) made them trust a business more".
Here are 5 reasons why testimonials can work for you:
1. They give hope. The person reading your testimonials makes a direct connection. Between what they need and how you help . Without you telling them. They think “Wow, I would love that to happen for me.”
2. What others say about us is more important than what we say about ourselves. This way we let others do the talking.
3. Brand leverage. This is … [Read more...]

About This Blog

I launched this Blog with one objective - to provide unique insights and practical advice for using the power of personal branding to achieve your goals. It’s dedicated to those who want to be wildly successful by maximizing what makes them unique, relevant and compelling.

To ensure this Blog provides many points of view, I invited the Preferred Reach-Certified Personal Branding Strategists to contribute their wisdom with you as well. I encourage you to be part of the personal branding conversation.